The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-08-26
SWISS HOME LIFE.
Beautiful Children Who Are Lin
guists and Merchants.
their Rude valley sehoois-Industrfous
and Cheerful Lace Makers - The
Long. "Gay" winters-Farm-
ing on the sides Of
Mountains.

KNOWS now 10 read and write-ff he II
capable of learning how. 1 have been
surprised to see how rapidly many OF
Of the guides and donkey boys can read
any handwriting, or how quickly they
will spell or write the name of any place
or mountain inquired about l have
been frequently assured by our drivers
and guides that all children mu st go to
school three months in year. The law
hey said was sehr, sehr strong (very
striet) about that; none could be ex-
cused. have been told. too, that now
every Swiss child was required to learn
German. whether IL was the language
Of the canton in which he lived or not.
and nearly all whom have met could
speak either French or German. or
would answer in the language in which
addressed them. unless, quickly per-
eeiving by my accent that was English
or American. they would answer a
question put TO them in French or Ger
man in English.
In one of the deepest of these valleys
into which the sun can only send its
rays a very few hours in the longest
days of summer. and in winter scarcely
at all. went into the little school
house of the valley. 1t was chilly.
sheerless place, but there was black
board, and maps were on the wall.
The narrow STRAIGHTFORWARD seats. OF
tho cheapest construction. seemed such
contrast to those pleasant COM
Portable desks and seats with which
nearly all our little country school
houses are now furnished; such a con-
,rast to our bright school-rooms fur
aished, often, with globes and pict-
Ires, many of them with flowers, that
could not but with little vanity con-
gratulate myself with having at home,
in our country, the best schools in the
world. Only that terrible scarifyer
If statistics which found in French
magazine. comparing our own reports
as to the numbers who could not read
and write In some of or so-called most
enlightened States that boast of a won
lerful school system, with like reports
If various countries in Europe, quite
took boastful spirit out of me. School
houses are not schools, and the latter
must be estimated according TO what
they do for the people who are taught
IN them.
must also earn its living as soon as it
can lisp its own name. either in some
work on in taking care of one younger
than Itself. All along the roadside
through the valleys are little board
shelters where. on shelves thus protect
ID. wood carvings and Swiss lace are
,ffered for sale. or little bright-eyed,
slender-li -limbed chamois. tended by
some child. is to be seen for few cent
lines to be added to the store, which is
20 keep these people from starvation
during the long winter, for which they
must look out with care.
Under one of these sheds TO-DAY /
saw two little girls. who had it in
charge. and stopped TO speak with
them. Both were making lace, their
little fingers flying so that l could
hardly see them, as they handled the
sobbins, any more than the spokes of
wheel in full motion, and the smallest
sf these children was no larger than are
most children at five years old in our
country. though she told me she was
eight When l patted the little head
and expressed surprise that such lit
tie thing should be able to make lace
so nicely, the older sister told
mo with loving pride. that
Anna had earned her own living by
already for two years.
They begged me TO buy the
piece saw her making, "for there are
Eve of us" they said; ''two younger
pGuvre, very poor" they said, trying,
in three languages, to make me COM
prehend the situation and induce me to
buy. Both could read and write, they
told me.
And where is your motherPn I
asked. She was in the field. and their
father was ''tragcr." !. e.. one who
stays about shc hotels and gets any job
that comes 10 hand f carrying people,
AFRAID or unable to = up the m 1uataia
On horseback or on mules. up in a
Nhair set upon li'ter. borne by two
vch men for exactly the same oricn u,
IS paid for a morse ana the one man
Who leads him up with the man or
on his back. Or ''tragern
carries up their trunks upon his shoul-
lers while they thus ride up. borne by
other .'tragers" The sisters begged
me to buy, assuring me again that they
were very poor; they wanted to get
some breakfast, they said.
"And have You had no breakfast
yetP" asked, for it was now past
twelve o'clock.
"Sehr tcenig." they said; very little.
The mother could not give them any
any this morning; she must go to the
field. The elder seemed. mothe; like.
most anxious that the little one should
make sale of her lace, though little
Anna said: .'You see hers is nicer than
mine, for she is older, you see, and can
make much nicer lace than can; of
course, my lady, it is better that you
buy hers than mine"
l thought of Wordsworth idyl,
I'VE are Seven" The beauty of their
lindliness and love for each other in
heir poverty, if not of face or feature,
made me glad" Both were ex-
1uisitely clean-face and hands and
hair. This was also neatly combed.
There were no bangs falling over their
foreheads, but every hair was drawn
back and fastened, as though not
stray hair should blind their eyes or
l = A. Al.